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G. T. CHAPMAN.

A HOOP EXPANDER.

No. 456,082. Patented July14, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

GEORGE T. CHAPMAN, OF WHITE PLAINS, ASSI GN OR OF ONE-HALF TO XVILLIAM HARVEY MERRIT'II, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

HOOF-EXPANDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 456,082, dated July 14, 1891.

Application filed November 28, 1890. Serial No. 372,801- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE T. CHAPMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of White Plains, WVestchestercounty, State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hoof-Expanders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in a contrivance of struts and a thrust-screw in connection with a head-piece adapted to apply expandingstresses both laterally and rearwardly on the heel of a horses foot from a base-support on the inner edge of the bar of the shoe at the toe, from which very powerful and effective thrusts may be produced in both these directions at the same time and by a simple device well adapted to keep its place in use, and specially useful in cases of hoofs contracted at the heel, and also from heel to toe, and arched on the bottom, as in navicular disease, all as hereinafter fully described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 represents a plan view of the bottom of a hoot with myim proved expander applied to it. Fig. 2 is a section of the expander and shoe on line a: 00, Fig. 1.

To a head-piece a, I pivot the struts b at one end, as representedat c, said struts being suitably curved and pointed or otherwise shaped at the other ends 61 to bite into the inside walls of the heel at e when the head-piece occupies a position at the toe of the frog, or thereabout, and to said head-piece I also connect the thrust-screw f by a nut g, preferably pivoted to said plate, but may be connected by any other approved means of enabling the screw to be used to force said plate backward from a bearing of the end of the screw on the inner edges of the bar of the shoej at the toe where in this case such bearing is provided by the step-block 1 having a groove ii? the side bearing on the edge of the shoe the block in place, which block will in practice preferably be swiveled to the end of the panded laterally on the heel in proportions as the distance between centers 0 is less than the distance between points (I of the struts of a given length, and there is also powerful elfect in expanding the foot lengthwise. For proportionately greater lateral thrusts the struts may be made shorter.

The step-block may of course be so shaped that it will restin the cavity between the upper side of the shoe and bottom of the hoof, or partly therein and partly against the edge of the bar of the shoe, and I intend to adapt it for either condition, both of which are alike included in my invention.

I claim as my invention The combination, in a hoof-expander, of the head-piece, the struts pivoted at one end thereto and at the other end adapted to bite into the inside wall of the heel when the plate occupies a position at or about the toe of the frog, and the thrust-screw fitted in a nut on the head-piece and having a step-block adapted to be seated on the inner edge of the toe of the shoe, substantially as described.

In testimony that- I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in pres ence of two witnesses, this 24th day of October, 1890.

GEO. T. CHAPMAN. Witnesses:

W. J. MORGAN, W. B. EARLL.

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